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The FedEx Dream Team

Fortune magazine has chosen to honor us as a FedEx IT team by naming me to their “Executive Dream Team” representing the “all star leadership” of the business world.

In the same spirit of fielding a fantasy baseball team, the magazine picks one executive for each position of a typical leadership team. I was drafted for the Chief Information Officer slot, citing our accomplishments that helped give FedEx its competitive edge. Others in the “Starting Lineup” of nine executives include senior officers from companies such as American Express, Procter & Gamble, Apple and Wal-Mart.

The FedEx story has always been one of pushing the limits and building new realities. Our Chairman Fred Smith recognized very early that “the information about the package is as important as the package itself”. Mr. Smith’s philosophy was embraced by a generation of outstanding leaders, who built FedEx IT to become a birthplace of ideas. When I came on board in 1993 I was quickly impressed by the supportive culture at FedEx – one in which IT was embraced as a critical part of the team.

From the earliest commercial handhelds in 1980, to equipping our vehicles with radio computers in 1984, to making package tracking available on the world’s first transactional website in 1994, we have always sought the edge of innovation.

We are now driving toward the future with incredible innovations like SenseAware, Print Online and strategic use of social media. We are also driving to the future in all of our systems by delivering the Purple Core for our customers, the Platinum Core to modernize our IT infrastructure and the Multi Core applications that enable our operating companies to fulfill their unique missions every day.

We all know that Fortune recognized FedEx because of the work of each one of our incredibly talented IT professionals. I say this all the time, but my job is indescribably rewarding because of the enrichment provided by our FedEx IT team members. The knowledge, wisdom and creative spirit in FedEx IT make me proud every day.

This team is writing the future, and I consider it a genuine honor to lead them.